Slowing It Down

It’s Friday, April 06, 2007. Nadia and I walked over through Fearless Leader Park and by Administratisi Gorda (City Hall) to meet Sophie on the way home. Remember my photo essay on Wake Up and Smell the Roses? Nadia and I were marveling at the thousands of rose bushes that were only last month, asleep and dormant, and today they are starting to bud and offer the early signs of spring. We were please and sad at the same time since we know that that we will be gone from Almaty by the time the rose bushes are in their full glory for the summer, yet it is such a marvel of nature to see thes little buds poking out for yet another spring and yet another chance to show the world exactly how beautiful rose can be. We loved the roses last summer. It will be one of those memories that linger for many years to come.

And spring is our sentinel for change this year. We are packing, readying ourselves for the next adventure and (hopefully) our last move for awhile to Yekaterinburg. I will be closing this Blog out at some point and putting up a new Blog – no name yet. Those of you having the inclination, send names that you would like to see for the next one – Putinka Times, Lynns of Yekat……..let me know.

Tonight was good. We got Sophie from work and stopped by Ramstor and picked up parts of our “international dinner” – waiting at home was Kazakh sautéed calf’s liver with mild red pepper and onion served over pasta prepared by Ludemilla, Nadia’s nanny, then the goodies we bought including Danish blue cheese, French baguette bread, a lightly smoked Kazakh horse meat (I’ve really gotten to like horse meat) and a fabulous bottle of Georgian wine “Teliani Valley 2005 red table wine made from the Saperavi grape not unlike Pat Maustuono’s fabulous, thick, complex, orgasmic Paso Robles (California) Zinfandels of the early 1980’s. Bill Mosby of Mosby Winery in Buellton, CA has great respect for Pat’s wine making ability. Those early 80’s Zins were legend and have never been equaled in the region. This Teliani Valley offering is very chewy, a little grassy on the front end and just bursting at the finish with great fruit. Maybe Pat is making wine for this little Georgian winery.

Sophie and Nadia are in watching the Russian variant of wheel of fortune. This old, old, old Russian-Pat Saijack where the guests bring all this crap to the guy and make long Russian speeches kissing his ass. Everything from cookies to live animals are offered up at the alter of the Ruski Wheel.

I’m writing the Blog in the living room, the cat Masha sleeps at my feet. Tonight has been celebrated well. Good food, love and kindness spread around the family and the anticipation of the next frontier – Russia. More on the move as we inch closer.